We have not seen great things done in our time except by those who have been considered mean; the rest have failed.

Women are the most charitable creatures, and the most troublesome. He who shuns women passes up the trouble, but also the benefits. He who puts up with them gains the benefits, but also the trouble. As the saying goes, there's no honey without bees.

Men seldom rise from low condition to high rank without employing either force or fraud, unless that rank should be attained either by gift or inheritance.

Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.

Sometimes it has been of great moment while the fight is going on, to disseminate words that pronounce the enemies' captain to be dead, or to have been conquered by another part of the army. Many times this has given victory to him who used it.

It is much safer for the prince to be feared than loved, but he ought to avoid making himself hated.

Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.